Chinese Rhythm by Alfredo Campoli

Chinese Rhythm, 78rpm Decca shellac disc by Alfredo Campoli and his salon orchestra Thank you to our friends from the EMI Archive Trust for sharing this great piece from their collection.   The EMI Archive Trust holds an extensive collection of 78 rpm shellac discs from accross the Gramophone Company, EMI and other privately donated collections. ThisContinue reading “Chinese Rhythm by Alfredo Campoli”

On this day: 7th July 1944

Seventy years today,  7th July 1944, a German V1 rocket landed on the EMI factory in Blyth Road, Hayes, as a result a concrete shelter roof collapsed, killing 34 and injuring a further eighteen. Today we honour the men and women based at the EMI Factory and Hayes, whose contribution was essential to the BritishContinue reading “On this day: 7th July 1944”

Recording Pioneers- Part 7, William Barry Owen

  Name:              William Barry Owen Born:              15 April 1860 Resident:        Born in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts Occupation:   Sent to London to raise investment funds for the Gramophone Company to expand into Europe Loves:             Music, Musicians, Gambling, London high society parties     In July 1897 William Barry Owen resignedContinue reading “Recording Pioneers- Part 7, William Barry Owen”

Top 10 Aussie Sopranos

By Roger Neil Someone started a thread on the unofficial BBC Radio 3 message boards asking for nominations for the top ten sopranos. It seemed to me that the emerging lists were filled with the usual suspects, and since I’m currently in the process (with Tony Locantro) of finishing up a 4 x CD setContinue reading “Top 10 Aussie Sopranos”

Friday Mystery Object #6 answer

To those who got it right, well done! This is an experimental Digital Desk from around 1980. This is the work surface and there were also 3 full sized racks of machinery to do all the processing. It was built by EMI’s Central Research Laboratories. Read this extract from the Audio Engineering Society to findContinue reading “Friday Mystery Object #6 answer”

A ghost in the machine

Deep in the vaults of the EMI Archive lies a mysterious Ghostly Gramophone player. Despite laying dormant for many years, while showing visitors around the collection an unsuspecting intern and her guests witnessed the turn table revolving. The gramophone in question in not electric, no one had touched it and the winding mechanism is frozen.Continue reading “A ghost in the machine”

Recording Pioneers- Part 6

Frederick William Gaisberg 1873 – 1951 “Fred was clearly one of those Children with a natural talent for the keyboard, and his mother made the most of this opportunity from the moment she began to teach him when he was four.” -Extract from ‘A Voice in Time’ – Jerrold Northrop Moore  Name:      Continue reading “Recording Pioneers- Part 6”

Nipper 1884 – 1895

Name:            Nipper Born:              1884 Resident:        London Occupation:   Posing for paintings, attacking Gramophones, looking for His   Masters Voice Loves:              Being a world famous icon, treats Francis Barraud’s painting of a fox terrier to an early gramophone remains one of the oldest and best-known of trademarks and records logos. It was a brilliantly conceivedContinue reading “Nipper 1884 – 1895”